After the Fire Dies
by Jmel2
Summary: When Joker breaks free from Arkham, all hell breaks loose. Post The Dark Knight Rises with Joker, Harley, and of course Batman.
1. Chapter 1

Joker skipped down the shadowed alley, his long green hair bouncing with every step. No one knew that he had escaped from the Hell-hole that Batman had put him in. In the confusion that Bane had caused, slipping out and replacing himself with one of his most loyal henchmen was simple. After freeing himself, he had reconnected with his old gang of criminals, a mix of murderers, torturers, arsonists, thieves, and lunatics. Almost all of them had been released on 'early parole' from Blackgate, and had immediately wanted back in with Joker.

His had also discovered a gem hidden in Blackgate. In the bottommost level of the prison, there was a locked door. Behind it, he could here chains rattling, and a stone cold whisper, "If you don't let me out Joker, when I get free, you will be my first fresh tally mark." Joker had heard of Victor Zsasz, a heartless murderer- like himself, who cut a tally mark into his skin for each person he killed. Rumor was that he was saving a special spot for the Batman. And Zsasz always made good on his promises. In part because of that, and also since Zsasz could be very useful, Joker let the feared murderer out.

Since then, Joker had killed Zsasz style, artfully slashing his victim's throat, and then cutting a tally mark into the stomach- the number of tallies representing the number of kills he had committed after Zsasz had escaped Blackgate. The woman he had just put in a dumpster with the arm hanging out had eight marks- eight kills in three weeks. Joker could picture the headlines on the newspapers tomorrow, something like "Zsasz's Reign of Terror Continues" or "Zsasz Strikes Again". No one knew that the Joker was the killer, not Zsasz, and the Clown Prince of Crime planned to keep it that way. Besides, Batman was dead, so the chances of either of them being caught were very low.

As that thought when through his mind, he heard a familiar flapping noise coming from the air above him. "Another imposter? We'll see." Joker ducked, and a batarang flew through the air, taking a chunk of greasy, green hair with it. "Really! I just had my hair done, and you, uh, ruined it!" He quickly scanned the throwing weapon in front of him. It was the correct size, shape, and sharpness. "Aww, crap", he thought as the imposing vigilante gracefully landed in front of him. "Uhhh, you died. I saw your plane go BOOM with the bomb. Ahh, oh well, this will be fun!"

Joker grabbed a knife out of his pocket, and thumbed the release. The blade extended out with a snick. The masked man raised his arms and sunk into a fighting stance. Joker charged, laughing manically as he swung his weapon. Batman rolled his arm over, and caught the knife in the grapple blades that he had used on Joker over eight years ago. But instead of unleashing a flurry of blows on the criminal, Batman tried to break Joker's knife. Joker laughed again, the laugh so chilling that it sent a shutter down even the killer's own back.

"Huh, real armor, but… you aren't Batman are you?" Joker clicked his tongue at the man in front of him.

The armored man's silence and the worry in his eyes was all the conformation that he needed. "I didn't think so."

"Of course I'm Batman." was the raspy reply.

"No, you're not. First, your voice needs some work, also Batman would have attacked me, not worry about breaking my weapon, and you ,uhh, let your worry… show through your eyes. Oh, and he wouldn't have let me distract him, because now I can do this." Another snick rang out, and it was shortly followed by the new Batman's scream.

Joker looked into the man's eyes. "Pathetic." He pulled the blade out of the man, wiped it clean on the black armor, then turned and skipped out of the alley.

"Huh, real armor, but… you aren't Batman are you?" Joker clicked his tongue at the man in front of him.

The armored man's silence and the worry in his eyes was all the conformation that he needed. "I didn't think so."

"Of course I'm Batman." was the raspy reply.

"No, you're not. First, your voice needs some work, also Batman would have attacked me, not worry about breaking my weapon, and you ,uhh, let your worry… show through your eyes. Oh, and he wouldn't have let me distract him, because now I can do this." Another snick rang out, and it was shortly followed by the new Batman's scream.

Joker looked into the man's eyes. "Pathetic." He pulled the blade out of the man, wiped it clean on the black armor, then turned and skipped out of the alley.

**Please review! This is my first story on this site, let me know how it is. Thank you in advance!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2. Hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it.**

**Note: I was planning on releasing chapter 3 today, but my story file got corrupted. So instead, I did a bit of refining of this chapter.**

"Hellu, Harley!" Joker said as he walked into his room back at his gang's hideout. She snarled at him. "Get me the hell out of these chains!" she screamed in anger. Joker looked at the blond haired psychiatrist chained to the wall.

"I thought that you liked chains. You used them quite a bit back at Arkham on me." Joker smiled, then continued. "Every time we saw each other, it was 'Get the chains, Joker's here.' But I don't mind being chained up by a beautiful girl. I'm just, uh, returning the favor."

"Screw you! As a psychiatrist my job is to get into others mind. I pretended to admire and like you in order to get into your head, you idiot."

"Tell me, what did you, uh, find?" asked Joker, his permanent smile raising as he grinned at Harleen.

"You're an insane monster who doesn't care about anyone except yourself."

Joker laughed. "Come on, doctor. Tell me something I don't know!"

"That you keep your previous life locked away in the back of your mind. That you killed your father after he killed your wife! That's your secret isn't it! Your daddy killed your mommy and then your squeeze, and you didn't have the guts to do anything until he came at you. You're a coward, Joker! You hide behi..." Harleen tried to continue to talk, but Joker grabbed her neck.

"DON'T EVER CALL ME A COWARD! YOU WEREN'T THERE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MY DAD WAS LIKE! YOU CALL ME A MONSTER, BUT MY FATHER MADE ME WHO I AM. _HE_ was the monster, not me." He let go of Harleen, and backed off, looking at her bruised neck. "I did like your rage though, I like it a lot."

Harleen attempted to suck in air, her breathing sounding similar to the rasp of the new Batman. "Oh, ahh, by the way, guess who I saw on my way back home tonight? Batman. I must admit though, he won't be rescuing you this time, sweetheart. I stabbed him."

Harleen attempted to gasp, and Joker laughed at the sight of all her hope vanishing from her eyes. "You killed him?" she whispered in horror.

"No, but I think he's paralyzed. Besides, it was a new Batman, I was just uh, teaching him what happens when you ummm, mess with criminals. Hahahahahaaaaaa!"

Harleen started to cry. "I hate tears. Why so serious?" Joker pulled out the same knife he had stabbed Batman with, "You know, you were only partially right about the way I got my scars." The murderous clown walked over to the now whimpering woman with the knife in his hand. "So, my father was at my house for Thanksgiving. He had been drinking, and became offended by something that my mom had said…"

The house was soon ringing with Harleen's screams again, but these screams were not ones of rage, but of pain.

Harleen attempted to gasp, and Joker laughed at the sight of all her hope vanishing from her eyes. "You killed him?" she whispered in horror.

"No, but I think he's paralyzed. Besides, it was a new Batman, I was just uh, teaching him what happens when you ummm, mess with criminals. Hahahahahaaaaaa!"

Harleen started to cry. "I hate tears. Why so serious?" Joker pulled out the same knife he had stabbed Batman with, "You know, you were only partially right about the way I got my scars." The murderous clown walked over to the now whimpering woman with the knife in his hand. "So, my father was at my house for Thanksgiving. He had been drinking, and became offended by something that my mom had said…"

The house was soon ringing with Harleen's screams again, but these screams were not ones of rage, but of pain.

**As always, please, please, please review, tell me what I can improve on, what is good, all that stuff. Thanks!**


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